Syracuse Hires McNamara as Men's Basketball Coach

Syracuse University has hired Gerry McNamara as its new men's basketball head coach, turning to a former star player and longtime assistant to revive a program mired in its longest NCAA Tournament drought since the 1960s and 1970s.

The 42-year-old McNamara, who helped lead the Orange to their only national championship in 2003 as a freshman point guard alongside Carmelo Anthony, replaces Adrian Autry. Autry was fired earlier this month after three seasons in which Syracuse compiled a 49-48 record and failed to qualify for the postseason each year. The Orange's five-year absence from the NCAA Tournament marks the program's most extended stretch without an appearance since 1967-1972. McNamara's appointment was finalized following negotiations with athletic director Bryan Blair, who took over on March 12 and succeeds John Wildhack upon his retirement in July.

McNamara brings a deep connection to Syracuse, where he played from 2002 to 2006, starting all 135 games and setting program records for three-pointers made (400), three-point attempts (1,131), free-throw percentage (88.8 percent) and minutes played (4,799). He scored 2,099 points, ranking fourth in school history, and his No....